Evaluation Report on Dandura Youth, Gender, HIV and AIDS and Communication Project.

Background:
Two projects implemented by CWGH and FAMWZ were evaluated. They are part of SAIH’s Zimbabwe program. The evaluation team produced two separate reports which will serve as tools for internal use, with the aim to decide the way forward.

Purpose/objective:
• Assess the pilot project with FAMWZ with a focus on the outcomes and effectiveness of the trainings provided to youth
• Give recommendations for the future support and assess the relevance in the projects in relation to SAIH policies and advocacy work

Methodology:
A combination of methods was applied, including desk studies, interviews, group discussions and observations of trainings. The team of two Swedish female consultants, one male Zimbabwean consultant and a female Zimbabwean consultant worked in pairs, using the local consultants’ contextual knowledge and communication skills as far as possible. Respondents from FAMWZ were interviewed in groups or individually, depending on the power relations and issue at hand. Both projects had limited baseline data on some of the progress markers and outcome indicators, therefore the consultants relied on the respondents own account of knowledge transformation and behavioural changes. This was a limitation, but having many stories from various places to compare and asking external observers to give comments increased reliability of findings.

Key findings:
FAMWZ- Youth had been empowered to speak out in public. Girls had become more assertive in relationships and exercised their right to say no to sex. Reporting about child abuse and sentencing of perpetrators had increased. Boys reported that they now stayed faithful to one partner, avoiding going to nightclubs and sometimes they also abstain from sex. The project is relevant to the community, which is struggling with HIV and unwanted teenage pregnancies.  However the relevance of SHRH as a thematic area to FAMWZ was questioned by the evaluation team.

The project did not adequately addressed LGBTI rights.

Recommendations:
FAMWZ should focus more on their respective core competencies: media, women’s participation and gender equity in the future. FAMWZ should increase youth influence in the organization, and involve youth in the advocacy work. The organization needs to increase the number of donors.

SAIH should work more strategically in the selection of partners and to narrow down the number of areas of work. SAIH has a position in the area of education, and therefore the evaluation team suggested that SAIH might only focus on students’ rights in Zimbabwe. SAIH should increase the knowledge of SRHR within SAIH and partner organizations, and discuss the minimum requirement for partner organisations, for example can a homophobic organisation receive support from SAIH? SAIH should initiate discussion on the content of youth influence amongst the partner organisations of SAIH as the team found that the partners are not fully understanding the reasons for and importance of youth participation and influence. SAIH should continue the open dialogue and transparency in decision making, and the frequent visits to Zimbabwe.